College football star dismisses height concerns ahead of Senior Bowl

Diego Pavia was a Heisman Trophy finalist successful his past twelvemonth with the Vanderbilt Commodores, and helium is present looking up to a imaginable NFL vocation successful the adjacent fewer months.

As NFL scouts and media descended connected the Senior Bowl this week, Pavia’s measurables were recorded. He was listed astatine 5-foot-9 7/8 and 198 pounds.

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Vanderbilt Commodores backmost Diego Pavia (2) throws a walk against the Iowa Hawkeyes successful the archetypal 4th during the ReliaQuest Bowl astatine Raymond James Stadium connected Dec. 31, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

Height is thing that doesn’t needfully specify a player’s career, but it is thing teams instrumentality into relationship erstwhile making their draught selections. The mean tallness for an NFL backmost is determination betwixt 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-3. Bryce Young and Kyler Murray are among the smallest quarterbacks successful the NFL astatine 5-foot-10.

Pavia didn’t look to beryllium excessively acrophobic with his vitals erstwhile helium spoke to reporters connected Monday.

"Yeah, my size has been doubted my full life," helium said, via AL.com. "I consciousness similar the lone happening the NFL cares astir is tin you win, and I presumption myself arsenic a winner. I’ve been fortunate with each these large teams that I’ve had — we’ve ne'er had a losing season. So that’s thing to look guardant to, I hope, for the remainder of my career, that’s however it’s going to be.

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Vanderbilt backmost Diego Pavia (2) celebrates aft the team’s triumph implicit Kentucky astatine FirstBank Stadium successful Nashville, Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Mark Zaleski/The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

"I consciousness similar God has blessed maine successful truthful galore ways to beryllium a connector, and I consciousness similar that’s 1 of my superpowers that I’ve got — I tin connect. We unite, and past erstwhile you unite, you privation to play for 1 another, and erstwhile you springiness 120% effort, there’s nary 1 that tin halt your team."

Heart and hustle are thing Pavia showed during his clip with Vanderbilt.

He had 2,293 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes successful 2024 during his archetypal play with Vanderbilt pursuing his transportation from New Mexico State. Vanderbilt was 7-6 and delivered a large triumph implicit Alabama.

Vanderbilt backmost Diego Pavia (2) throws to a receiver during warmups earlier an NCAA assemblage shot crippled against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, successful Knoxville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)

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In 2025, Vanderbilt was 10-3 and astir made the College Football Playoff. Pavia earned a spot arsenic a Heisman finalist with 3,539 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes.

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